Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has led to a number of expected changes for users and could have significant implications for speech on the platform.
Musk finalized his acquisition of Twitter on Thursday, placing him as the CEO of the organization. Here’s what has happened in the short time since:
A TIMELINE OF MUSK’S ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN PURSUIT OF TWITTER
Musk removed top executives: Musk immediately fired multiple executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal and head of legal policy, trust, and safety Vijaya Gadde.
Musk’s own Twitter profile now identifies him as “Chief Twit.”
The rumors that Musk would implement mass layoffs were not immediately realized. Still, several pranksters convinced reporters that they were laid-off employees while using names like “Rahul Ligma,” a reference to an online meme.
Musk delayed major decisions about content moderation: Initial reports indicated that Musk would end permanent bans on accounts such as that of former President Donald Trump. Yet Musk said he would not make any content moderation decisions until the company formed a council to address such questions.
Musk also reassured advertisers that he would make sure Twitter does not become a “free for all hellscape,” as some imagined it would.
For his part, Trump said he would not rejoin the platform if allowed and that he would stick to his own social network, Truth Social.
Conservatives cheered, liberals jeered: The final purchase was praised by conservatives, who were eager to see what changes the “free speech absolutist” Musk would make to Twitter’s content moderation policies. Conservative alternative social networks also praised the decision and said they were eager to see what Musk would do next.
Several left-wing accounts debated whether to leave the platform due to Musk’s views on free speech, while others said they would stick around as a sort of resistance.
Users reported a surge in hateful speech on the platform after Musk’s final acquisition, including an increased use of the N-word, antisemitic slurs, and neo-Nazi remarks.
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Foreign governments weighed in: Chinese officials requested that Musk remove labels from their accounts that identified them as part of the Chinese state.
Other users ensured that Twitter would abide by their country’s rules. Thierry Breton, the European commissioner for the internal market, told Musk that he will have to “fly by [the European Union’s] rules” if he wants the company to continue operating there.
